The field of the invention is devices for training a hitter to hit a baseball.
There are many drills and exercises used to teach the art of hitting a baseball. Common to all teams is a soft toss drill which involves a tosser and a batter. The tosser with a number of baseballs kneels at a distance of three to four feet off to the side of the batter. In order to perform the soft toss drill properly the tosser softly tosses each baseball into an area of the strike zone where the batter has the least proficiency. The batter attempts to make contact with the baseball at the intended point and usually drives the baseball into a nearby backstop. In order to perform the soft toss drill properly the tosser must not fall into a predictable frequency, but must continuously vary both the time between each toss.
This represents the ideal, but, according to knowledgeable coaches, what normally happens is that boredom quickly sets in and chatter inevitably breaks out so that the last thing on the young participants' mind is baseball. The drill for all its potential and intent is rendered useless.
Coaches agree that the greatest learning will be derived from a device for training a hitter to hit a baseball which meets the following four criteria. The first criterion is that the device permit a hitter to practice his hitting without the need of someone else. The second criterion is that the device be small and portable enough so that he can use the device both on the field and at home. The third criterion is that the device incorporate means for controlling both the height and frequency of each toss. The fourth criterion is that the device be repetitive so that the player does not have to break his concentration by having to stop and physically reload the device with a baseball and set the firing system before each hit.
The patents which are cited below teach devices for training a hitter to hit a baseball which meet the first and second criteria in that all of the devices may be operated by a player alone and are small and portable enough to operate in a small area either on the field or at home.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,504 teaches a device for training a hitter to hit a baseball which individually tosses a column of baseballs with the manual ability to vary the trajectory of the baseball, but which has no mechanism to vary the frequency of the tosses. U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,985 teaches a device for training a hitter to hit a baseball which controls the frequency of the tosses by means of a motor driven device, but which has no mechanism for varying the trajectory of the baseball. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,955,606, 4,858,921, 4,865,318 and 4,778,177 all teach devices for training a hitter to hit a baseball which require the interruptive physical action of loading and/or cocking, before the hitter can swing at the baseball.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,504 teaches a baseball dispensing apparatus for hitting practice which includes a baseball retainer for retaining and sequentially delivering baseballs to one end thereof, a lever rotatably mounted on a shaft at the one end of the retainer for engaging and lifting a baseball from the retainer upon rotation of the lever, and an actuator for the lever for causing the lever to engage, lift, and project a baseball from the retainer. A spring is attached to the retainer and to the shaft for accelerating the rotation of the lever into engagement with the baseball. The tension of the spring can be varied thereby varying the trajectory of a baseball lifted from the retainer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,985 teaches an automatic baseball delivery system which includes a chute which is generally downwardly-extending and which delivers baseballs by gravity to a hitting area, a dispenser which deposits automatically baseballs into the chute and a support which supports the dispensing tank and the chute.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,606 teaches a baseball pitching device which includes a baseball capture cavity bearing a lip member positioned to capture and stabilize a single baseball at that level, an adjustable-height stand, a baseball magazine for containing a plurality of baseballs and a release lever which is coupled to the baseball magazine. Touching the release lever allows another baseball to enter the baseball capture cavity in order to launch the baseball. An initial ramp extends downward and rearward away from the baseball capture cavity, and connects to a final ramp which extends further downward but in the forward longitudinal direction. The final ramp terminates in an upwardly-curved launch ramp extending towards the batter in the front of the apparatus so that the launch ramp is generally beneath the baseball capture cavity. The entire apparatus is supported by
U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,921 teaches an improved baseball suspending apparatus which utilizes a dual directional component air stream to support the baseball for striking. The dual directional component air stream allows the baseball to be spun according to the desire of the operator. A baseball may be supported to simulate the certain spins associated with fast ball or curvebaseball pitches thrown by either left or right handed pitchers thereby allowing the batter to experience the manner in which a certain type of pitch will react when struck with a bat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,318 teaches a baseball tossing device which includes a tossing mechanism and a foot pedal assembly which is manually depressible for actuating the tossing mechanism to toss a baseball upwardly into the air so that it can be hit with a bat. The tossing mechanism includes a timer assembly which delays the baseball tossing action of the device by a predetermined delay interval so that a batter can assume a fully ready position before the baseball is tossed into the air.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,177 teaches a spring loaded arm mechanism which is incorporated into a baseball home plate support for tossing a regulation or practice baseball, from ground level, upwardly into the batter's strike zone. A baseball launching arm, arm bias spring, arm latch and a release are all arranged in a compact, low profile unit flush with or just slightly protruding above the home plate support. The arm is cocked, using an arm engaging hand tool, by rotating a baseball launching arm end downwardly against the biasing into a latched position. After positioning the baseball, the latch is released, either by the batter or by another via a remotely actuated release, to cause the sprung arm to rotate with great force through a limited arc, propelling the baseball vertically up into the strike zone. A practice device includes a lever arm release actuated by the operator's bat and may further include an elastic baseball return tethering cord having an in-line swivel to relieve line twisting. A game play spring loaded arm mechanism mounts the arm and spring unit below the upper plane of the home plate support which has an opening for receiving and launching the baseball, such that the spring loaded mechanism remains safely out of the way for base running.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,810 teaches a baseball dispensing device for practicing batting that includes a three tubular chute for retaining and delivering baseballs to a batter. The center tube contains an electric driven motor which rotates a pair of discs which dispense baseballs at timed intervals releasing them to a central tube established at an incline to allow the dispensed baseball to roll and strike a spring. The weight of the baseball causes the spring to flex and upon reflex propels the baseball upward vertically allowing a batter to swing into the baseball. The center motor driven discs are equipped with a hole which when completing a rotation dispenses baseballs alternately to the delivery chute.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,379 teaches an apparatus for serving tennis balls which includes a movable frame assembly, a control unit and an ejecting mechanism which is mounted on the frame assembly for forcibly ejecting the tennis ball in a predetermined direction. The control unit is electrically coupled to the ejecting mechanism.